Kregg Reynolds spent five months rolling around on a knee scooter waiting for workers' compensation insurers to approve a roughly $8,000 pair of custom prosthetic shoes — a delay that led to a secondary foot injury just weeks before he planned to walk down the aisle with his bride, AngeLia “Angie” Stokes, in October 2026.
Reynolds, a former Washington Metro electrical mechanic, lost part of his right foot in 2006 when a train struck him at the Shady Grove Metro yard, according to WBFF. He used a wheelchair and scooter for years afterward before learning to walk again with custom shoes fitted with a prosthetic insert, the station reports. As of late September 2026, insurers still had not approved his replacement shoes, and the five-month wait took a physical toll.
A Scooter That Didn't Work and a Shoe That Wore Out
By April 2026, Reynolds's custom shoe had worn out, and his mobility scooter stopped working — with a replacement scooter also left unapproved, per the station's report. That left him dependent on a knee roller while he waited for his shoe insert to be replaced. He injured his foot while using the worn-out shoes. Reynolds has spent years fighting workers' compensation insurers over medications, bandages, prosthetics and other medical needs stemming from the 2006 accident, the outlet notes.
To bridge the gaps, Reynolds has leaned on RescueMeds, a specialty medical supplier that keeps distributing prescription medications and wound care supplies to injured workers even while insurers dispute payment rates before the Workers' Compensation Commission and in state courts, according to the Brunswick community forum post. Disputes over treatment can leave injured workers relying on workarounds.
Not the Only Mechanic Hurt at Shady Grove
Reynolds isn't the only Metro mechanic who's had to fight this battle. A second former Washington Metro electrical mechanic lost a leg after being run over by a train at the Shady Grove yard in 2012, six years after Reynolds; the injured worker was not publicly identified, and Phil was a spokesperson. Reynolds has spent two decades fighting Maryland's workers' compensation system. The yard has a long history of severe safety incidents, including a fatal January 1996 incident in which a train overran the platform at Shady Grove station during a blizzard and then collided with an unoccupied train at the end of Shady Grove station; the collision, caused by automated braking failure, killed a train operator and prompted major federal safety recommendations, according to Wikipedia.
A System Built to Protect Workers, But Slow to Deliver
Disputes over whether ongoing care remains causally connected to an original workplace injury can interrupt treatment.
Those statutory deadlines haven't stopped disputes from piling up. Nearly half of claims were disputed in 2022.
For workplace injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2026, the commission set the maximum weekly benefit for temporary and permanent total disability at $1,537, the State Average Weekly Wage, with disability checks equaling two-thirds of a worker's average weekly wage up to that ceiling, according to Miller & Zois. The caps and deadlines are meant to keep injured workers from falling through the cracks, but cases like Reynolds's and Phil's show how disputes over causation and equipment can still stretch on for months even when a claim has already been accepted.
Maryland's Comp Protections Have Recently Been Tested Elsewhere
Maryland's workers' compensation framework has drawn scrutiny beyond rail yards this year. In August 2026, the Appellate Court of Maryland affirmed that an injured athlete was entitled to state comp protections under Maryland's no-fault statutory framework, which invalidates private contract waivers of worker rights even when injuries occur out of state. That case involved former Washington Commanders lineman Curtis Brooks, and it underscored how firmly Maryland courts have upheld statutory comp rights against employer challenges — even as workers like Reynolds continue to wait on insurers to approve basic medical equipment years after their injuries.
